Spiteful
by FallingSnow14
Summary: One rogue tom. Two ThunderClan she-cats. A bitter struggle for love, and the secret that could tear them apart. Who will win this fight?
1. Discovered

"**Warriors Series, will you be mine?" "No, Darkleaf, I don't love you. I belong to the Hunters." "But Warriors! I have my own characters, and Rainheart and Tawnystorm and…" "It doesn't matter. You do not own me." "No!!!!"**

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Tawnystorm

I checked the scent marker, making sure it was clear. We usually didn't patrol this border because it was away from the other Clans, but we needed to lay new markers every now and then to give a warning to any rogues or kittypets that are stupid enough to come near. My father, Bramblestar, had given me permission, no, ordered me, to lead the patrol over here. I would much rather be hunting or sparring in the hollow.

I waved my tail for the others, wanting to move on. Lionblaze and his apprentice Bluepaw were the only other cats on the patrol, but Lionblaze was taking his time pointing out every shrub and stone along the way. Bluepaw hadn't patrolled here before, and she was only encouraging him as she nodded fervently, hanging onto his every word like it was life or death. A perfect little I'm-a-hardworking-loyal-cat-and-will-follow-the-code-and-respect-the-elders-and-be-perfect blah blah blah. You can't have any fun with that attitude.

"Can't you two hurry up? I promised Briarpelt that I'd hunt with her later. Plus you two have moons to talk about this." I complained.

"I'm teaching Bluepaw!" Lionblaze snapped. "And have some patience, won't you?"

I rolled my eyes. My dear cousin could be ever so irritating. To think if my long-gone cousin Hollyleaf had kept her trap shut, he would have been my brother!

Suddenly I picked up a scent. My pelt bristled, my lips pulling back in a snarl. "Lionblaze! Get over here!"

"I _said _I'm _coming_! Just because you're leading the patrol-" Lionblaze snarled at me, but I cut him off.

"No, mouse-brain! I smell a rogue! _On our territory!" _I hissed. Frowning, he strode over and stuck his nose in the air. His eyes widened with surprise.

"We'll follow the scent and see if the rogue has left, but we better be on the alert." He said. I didn't care that he made the decisions, I was already bounding ahead, eager to find the rogue. Finally, some excitement!

I dashed after the trail, Lionblaze and Bluepaw running behind. The rogue hadn't traveled into the territory very far, but I was positive he was still here somewhere. I had raced almost to the ShadowClan border when I burst into a small clearing. I skidded to a halt, Lionblaze and Bluepaw stopping by my sides. Not ten feet from us was the rogue!

So the rogue _was_ a 'he'. A very good-looking he, with dark brown fur and lighter tabby stripes. He was very large and muscular, like my father, and surprisingly well-groomed for a rogue.

_But of course that doesn't matter! _I yelled at myself. _What are you waiting for? Get him! _

I flung myself at the rogue with a yowl, and he darted away. Lionblaze crashed into him before he could escape, tackling him into the ground. They were equal in size, but Lionblaze had age and Clan experience, while the rogue had battle skills from living life on the move. It would have been an equal battle, but Lionblaze won because of his inexplicable never-gets-hurt-in-fights thing. I'm not the only cat who's noticed it.

Plus he had me and Bluepaw, who quickly pinned the brown tabby. I snarled down at him menacingly, "What are you doing on ThunderClan's territory, rogue?"

He struggled angrily beneath my paws. "Leaving!" he spit.

"Not yet." Lionblaze said. "We'll see what Bramblestar thinks about all this." He tugged the rogue to his feet. "Let's go. Bluepaw, alert the warriors, please."

She nodded. "I'll be fast." She replied, not sounding scared at all. I had to admit, I admired her bravery. Her blue-gray tail disappeared around a bush, and she was gone.

Lionblaze and I took positions like guards on either side of the rogue. We followed the worn trail back to camp. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Gale." He said curtly.

No one spoke until we reached camp. Foxtooth and Blossomtail waited for us at the entrance. They took up positions behind us and we marched into camp. I raised my head proudly. Everyone thought of me as a troublemaker like my mother, but here was proof I could do things too! Everyone can see how my patrol caught a rogue!

Cats glared at the rogue from either side, hissing hostilely. I lead the way up to where Bramblestar sat on the Highledge. His fur was streaked with bits of gray, but he was young still young at heart. My mother Squirrelflight looked at me proudly, untouched by age.

"Father!" I called out. "As Bluepaw has probably told you, my patrol has captured a rogue."

Bramblestar looked down. "What is your name?"

"Gale." Gale answered.

"Well, Gale. I am Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan. Any cat could've scented the border markings, but you entered our territory anyway. Is this not true?"

"It is. I smelled cat, but it was a week old, and I figured that whoever left it was long gone. I meant no harm." He dipped his head respectfully.

Bramblestar tilted his head. "Poppyfrost, what do you think?" Poppyfrost was the deputy. There were other cats who deserved the position as much as she did, like Lionblaze, but Poppyfrost was smart and kind, using her head and heart before her claws. This made her a good choice.

Poppyfrost mewed, "I think there is a lesson to be learned here. If we renewed the scent markings on our far borders more often, we wouldn't have problems like this."

"My thoughts exactly." Bramblestar remarked. "Therefore, I think it's fit that we let Gale go."

Immediately cats began yowling. Brindlestripe, a young tom, was the loudest. "He's a trespasser! We should teach him a lesson!"

I personally was relieved. Gale was… He shouldn't be attacked. Like Poppyfrost said, we needed to renew our borders more.

"Quiet!" Bramblestar yowled above the noise. "Tawnystorm, Lionblaze, and Rainheart will escort Gale off the territory. I now end this meeting." He leaped down and padded away amid the outraged cries.

A musical voice alerted me to Rainheart's presence. "Tawnystorm? Would you like to lead?" Rainheart was a blue-gray she cat with a white chest and paws, blue eyes, and long fluffy fur. She was small for a warrior, just bigger than an apprentice. Everyone thought she was pretty and sweet. I had no quarrel with her. Then.

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**I know them catching Gale was suspiciously convenient, but too bad, get over it.**


	2. Chamomile

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Rainheart

Only a quarter moon ago, I was on the patrol that had showed Gale off the territory. He was very friendly for a rogue, and I liked that. I'd always respected cats who could see past borders and differences. If he was a Clan cat, even a different Clan, we could've been friends. It's a shame.

Leafpool and Jayfeather had asked me to gather Chamomile flowers. They bloomed only in Newleaf, and there was only one small patch far away on the edge of the territory, past the abandoned Twoleg nest. The petals were the very best remedy for heatstroke, and we needed to stock up for the coming Greenleaf. Leafpool or Jayfeather could've gotten the blossoms themselves, but as a kit I spent much time in the medicine den and knew exactly what the herb looked like. I had liked its soothing smell. If there weren't two medicine cats already, I might have chosen to join them instead of becoming a warrior. But I was not needed there.

I darted through Newleaf's young flowers. They were everywhere, filling the air with sweet scents, but it was much more beautiful out here, alone in the woods. It was silent except for birds.

I was tempted to stay and play here all day, but I had work to do. Sniffing around, I quickly located the thick clump of white flowers that looked very much like daisies. I nipped off as many as I could carry, sad to kill such pretty little things.

I had just started padding back, the flower's scent making me sleepy, when a voice mrrowed, "Hello, Rainheart."

I whirled around, the flowers flying out of my mouth as I spun. Padding toward me was Gale, the rogue. He bent his head and sniffed at the dropped flowers, not seeming to care that he was on our territory.

"W-what are you doing here?" I stammered. If he decided to attack or refused to leave, I could never beat him in a fight.

"I know this is your territory, but it's such a nice spot… I like it here."

Not sure what to say, I scooped up the herbs and avoided his gaze. He didn't _seem _like he would cause trouble, but we were supposed to defend our borders…

He handed me the last flower. "I guess I shouldn't be here." He spoke regretfully.

I felt sorry for him. Any cat would want to stay here, in this sunlight-and-flower paradise. "Well…" I mumbled through the Chamomile. "If you didn't take any prey, and avoided the patrols, I suppose it can't hurt…"

"Thanks." Gale smiled. For a moment, he just stared at the sky. "Life as a Clan cat must be interesting."

"It is." I wholeheartedly agreed. "Being a warrior is a proud accomplishment, and serving your Clan to the best of your abilities is a reward in itself."

"It sounds enthralling." He was staring at me funny.

"What?" I mewed, confused.

"The day I visited your camp, there was a little cat who looks a lot like you. Practically identical."

I nodded, understanding now. "That's my little sister Bluepaw. She was part of the patrol that found you."

"I knew it. You two are so alike."

Suddenly I remembered where I was. _What am I doing? _I thought. _Chatting with a rogue, not getting the herbs to camp, and breaking the warrior code, that's what!_

"I really need to get back to camp." I said quickly. "They've might've sent out a patrol looking for me." I added with a touch of panic.

He nodded. "It wouldn't be good for either of us if they caught us here. Well, it was nice talking to you. I'll see you later. Bye!" He bounded swiftly away.

I hesitated a moment, then thought to yell out "Goodbye!" He was already out of sight, but I'm sure he heard me.

Trotting quickly back to camp with the flowers in my mouth, I could only think _'I'll see you later? What does he mean by that? _

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**Sorry this chapter was so short. I just wanted to do a bit of character development, and get the story rolling. A Brightheart plushie to whoever writes the best review!**


	3. Visiting?

**Congrats, , you have won the Brightheart plushie! **

**This means a new plushie! A Rusty plushie to whoever writes the best review!**

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Tawnystorm

"You have to be faster than that, Briarpelt!" I said smugly. She spat out sandy dirt and hissed.

"You may be fast-" She lunged at me without warning. I hit the ground at the last second, rolling onto my back. She spun, a dark brown blur, just as fast. Joints locked, she reared onto her hind legs and moved to smash her forepaws into my exposed belly. But my legs were longer. Kicking out as she came down, my hind feet caught her in the belly. I had only meant to knock her back, but sudden inspiration came to me. Sliding my feet down to her hips, I pushed my paws against the place where her legs met her back, at the same time pressing my forepaws against the lower part of her chest. I pushed up, raising her into the air.

It was priceless, the look on her face. She was shocked to find herself airborne, her paws scrabbling at the air. Grinning, I shoved hard and tossed her forwards, over my head. She squealed and hit the sand. I flipped to my feet, but fell over because I was laughing so hard.

She stared at me, not sure whether to attack me or laugh or just sit there stunned. She finally gasped "What was _that_? Since when did you start making up your owns moves?"

I shrugged. "It thought it would be funny, and believe me, it was. But I only tried it cause I knew your legs are shorter and it would work."

She shook her head. "Let's go get some fresh-kill."

Back in camp, we were both munching squirrels when Rainheart padded back into camp, looking slightly out of breath. She was carrying some herb in her mouth, which made her smell like flowers. But she passed by me, and I could smell something underneath the flowers… I knew that scent! That was Gale!

I was instantly suspicious. What was she doing with Gale? Had she snuck off the territory? Or had he come back here? The thought of him being here gave me mixed emotions. My first instinct was _Rogue! Drive him off! _But that wasn't right. _Not just some rogue. Gale. _I wanted him here.

A disturbing new thought forced it's way into my mind. _If Gale was here… She would've told someone. She's one of the cats who never break the rules. Isn't she? If she didn't tell anyone… That means she went off on her own to see him. _A flash of anger flooded through me.

For the rest of the day I worried, tormenting myself with pointless questions. I couldn't ask her, then she'd know I knew. By nightfall I'd decided. I would go and find Gale myself. My paws itched to race off, but I would wait until Moonhigh.

_Which is taking it's time coming! _I yowled silently to myself. I tossed and turned, earning an irritated growl from Cinderheart.

Finally I couldn't wait any more. I slipped out into the moonlight, my marbled ginger fur glinting. I darted away into the dark forest.

First things first, I put distance between myself and camp. When I stopped running, I noticed just _how _dark it was. My night vision wasn't enough to see through all of the shadows, and it felt as if things were lurking all around. I would say it was scary, maybe even terrifying, if I was the kind of cat who felt fear. Still, every twig snap set my fur on edge. How did ShadowClan cats do this?

I realized something important. I had no idea where Gale was. My only hope was to try and follow Rainheart's trail backwards.

It took me a while, and by the time I picked up her sent I had almost given up. But the trail gave me new hope. Trotting along rapidly, I followed her sent up the path to the old Twoleg nest.

She didn't stop there, though. She went on past that, farther than anyone almost ever did. But I didn't follow. I smelled Gale.

I slipped silently into the nest. The dark, spooky woods had nothing on this chilling spot. I'd been here in the daytime, but at night it wasn't the same place at all.

Where was Gale? I knew he was here. I looked around from my crouched position. The black shape above me nearly made me scream in alarm, but I realized it was just Gale and not some terrifying monster about murder me in a bloody fashion.

I studied his sleeping form. He was stretched out on a beam in the rafters as if it were a tree branch. If I wasn't looking for him, I would never have known he was there.

"Gale!" I whispered loudly. He bolted upright, nearly falling off. He looked around wildly before seeing me hiding in the corner. I stood up quickly. I wasn't afraid of anything. Especially not the dark.

He bounded from beam to beam and landed on the floor with a puff of dust. "Tawnystorm?" He mewed curiously. "What are you doing here? Come to chase me off the territory again?"

"No." I didn't like the reminder. "I-" What _was _I doing here? I hadn't thought of what I'd say to him. "Just… Visiting?"

He smirked. "Right. Because now is an excellent time to visit a cat." I bristled. He was talking to me like I was some misbehaving apprentice! I started to retort hotly, when he suddenly asked, "How did you find me?"

He narrowed his eyes when I hesitated. Internally steeling myself, I said, "I followed Rainheart's scent back here."

"Rainheart. Yes, we accidentally met up a few fox-lengths away from here." He said.

I thought through this. _One, he's lying and it was no accident. Two, it was an accident for him, but not Rainheart. Three, it _was _just an accident. _I suspected it was two, possibly one. Almost certainly not three.

Gale stretched out on the floor. "So." He broke the silence. "I guess this means you're not going to tell on me?"

"I could." I answered, amused.

"But you won't." He said, far too sure of himself.

"Why not?" I laid down facing him.

"We would no longer be able to have these lovely, what did you say, visits?" He grinned, dead right.

Grimacing, I peeked at his face. His amber eyes glowed as they stared back at me. _Wait a minute… _A feeling of dread was creeping over me. _Why are his eyes glowing? They would only glow if light was shining on them… LIGHT! _The shriek of revelation inside my head was loud enough to make jump. Outside, sunrise had turned the clouds pink.

"I need to leave now." I spoke calmly, even though my heart was pounding.

"So soon?" Gale asked in mock worry.

"Yes. The dawn patrol will be leaving any minute." _Plus I have to get rid of your scent before I go back to camp._

"Goodbye, then. And good morning." He said, yawning. _Good luck, _he wanted to say but didn't. I could feel it hanging in the air unspoken.

I nodded once and, feeling brave, rubbed against him quickly before sprinting away, not looking back.

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	4. Reckless

**Congrats, Rainpath, you won the Rusty plushie!**

**This means a new plushie! A Tigerclaw plushie to whoever writes the best review!**

**Also, I apologize for all the grammar mistakes in the last chapter, I know there are many. In fact, writing this sentence I made two mistakes that I had to fix. I guess I'm a bad speller.**

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Rainheart

The mouse scurried inches from my nose as I stalked it, unnoticed. I leapt lightly, landing and pinned the mouse to the ground with my small white paws. My tail twitched in satisfaction as I gently picked up the struggling little thing in my teeth. I padded away, carrying it in my mouth. Crouching on a clump of moss, I dropped it and let it run, nearly out of reach before snagging it again with my claws. I did this several times for fun, before picking it up by its tail. Padding back in the direction of the others, a voice suddenly snapped at me.

"Rainheart, stop playing with that mouse! Kill it at once!" Squirrelflight grumbled, pushing past a fern. She carried a dead blackbird in her jaws, and stared at the still-wriggling mouse with contempt. "Prey is to be eaten, not treated like a kit's play thing!"

Burning with shame, I spit the mouse on the ground and bit it.

Falconwing glanced at us, amused. "As if you didn't do the exact same thing when you were young? I've heard the elders talk; apparently you were _loads_ of trouble!"

"Don't listen to Brightheart and Ferncloud, they'll tell you anything." She retorted.

Falconwing rolled his eyes. He was a younger warrior, twin brother of Brindlestripe. He was lean and long-legged, with pale sandy fur and thin brown tabby stripes. Interestingly enough, his eyes were different colors, the right one a brilliant blue and the left a duller brown. He picked up two squirrels and we padded back to camp.

Sundown arrived. A slow fire burned through me, starting deep inside and spreading through my skin to the tip of my tail. It grew as the moon rose. Instead of feeling sleepy, it made me twitchy, flicking my tail and kneading the ground. Seeking privacy behind the nursery, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I forced all my muscles to relax, collapsing onto the soft ground.

Organizing my thoughts, I asked myself, as if another cat was speaking, _Why do you feel like this? I don't know… Okay then, Rainheart, what do you want to do? Understand… Then what? I think… I want to go for a walk. _I hated to ask, because I already knew the answer. But I wouldn't lie to myself. _And why do you want to go for a walk?... I want to see Gale. _

I winced internally. I shouldn't want to see him. I shouldn't to lie to my Clan. I shouldn't break the warrior code. I hated that.

But I already had. I let him stay. _I _did. It went completely against the code, but I did it anyways. _Why? _

_Go back to your nest. Go to sleep. Don't do anything you'll regret. _

I flitted into the forest.

_Gale, Gale, Gale, Gale, Gale! _I sang in my head. The darkness was my ally. While many things hid out of sight, I could too. I was a shadow, a silent black shape. Some cats didn't adapt well to the night, preferring to keep their enemies in sight, even if it meant exposing themselves as well. But you didn't have to fight if your enemies couldn't find you.

I ran all the way to the place where we met, panting by the time I got there. Gale scent was undetectable, mixed with wildflowers. He was near, though. I could feel it.

The fire that was in me before had changed to electricity that hummed through my veins. No longer twitchy, I was… excited.

Flexing my claws, I climbed like a squirrel into a young cedar tree. Perching on the lowest branch, I examined the nearby area. It was still, a light breeze making the flowers sway. Then I saw a flicker of movement. Behind a large oak tree several paces away, a dark catlike shape moved stealthily through the brush. Grinning, I sprang from the tree as if I had wings.

I bounded straight up to Gale. He was padding away, but he must've heard my approach. I was barely a fox-length away when he noticed me, whirled, and slammed into me, pinning me to the ground. I laughed breathlessly, which was strange considering I was pinned by a cat much larger than me, nose to nose with hostile eyes and bared teeth.

"Oh!" Gale said. He jumped off me like he'd been sitting on a fire. "Rainheart, I didn't realize it was you! I'm so sorry! You surprised me, and well, its instinct."

"Of course. It's my fault for sneaking around in the dark, anyways." I mewed. His expression was still worried. "I'm not hurt." No, I wasn't hurt, far from it. My heart was thumping like crazy. Everything I was doing was wrong, but it felt so right. Never had I been so reckless.

Gale picked up a mouse. He must have dropped it when he attacked me. I trotted along by his side as he led the way towards the old Twoleg nest. "Hunting?" I questioned.

He nodded. "I've been sleeping most of the day. Last night one of your warrior friends came by for a 'visit'." Something about the word seemed funny to him.

But I stopped in my tracks. "A warrior found you? Who? Why? What happened? Did you-"

He interrupted my interrogating. "Yes, Tawnystorm." A split second thought flashed through my head. _Not Tawnystorm! She'll attack him, and if she can't chase him off herself, she'll get help! She's exactly the kind of cat who'd think fighting rogues is fun. _He continued before I think anything else. "She tracked me and caught me asleep in the nest. She apparently just wanted to visit, but I don't think she'll tell anybody." He smirked. "At any rate, we talked for a bit until she ran off at dawn. If I can be so easily found, then it's better to hide during the day."

I stared at the ground, wishing it held the all the answers. But this was a waste of time. I shoved the questions from my mind. "I'll catch a snack, and then we can eat."

"I'll wait." He dropped the mouse and sat, curling his tail around his paws.

Slipping into a hunting crouch, I crept around a tree trunk to see another mouse sniffing for seeds. It died instantly.

Padding back with my warm kill, Gale looked up. "That was quick. I thought my mouse would be cold before you got back. You must be a good hunter."

I kept my eyes on the mouse. "Thanks." I mumbled, my fur prickling. I started eating.

Gale joined me, sinking is teeth into his prey. We ate quietly for a while. I didn't want my whole mouse, and Gale hadn't eaten anything all day, so I let him have the rest when I was finished.

For a long time after that, we stretched out in the Twoleg nest and talked. I told Gale all about life in the Clans, and he told me about his time as a rogue. He said he was born not far from here, by the Endless Water. When I asked him what that was, he told me it was a place of great salty water that stretched on forever.

"We have a different name for that place. For the Clans, it's known as Sun-Drown place. My leader and his mate went there once, a long time ago." I recognized it now. We'd all heard of it.

"Sun-Drown place. Odd, but fitting. The sun falls into the water every night, but it survives to rise again."

"What's beyond the Endless Water?" I wondered.

He laughed. "Nothing. That's why it's called the Endless Water. I suppose somewhere the water might end, but if it does, there's certainly nothing beyond it. My mother always told me, the Endless Water is the edge of the world. You cannot cross it, because you can walk forever in either direction and it won't end. Endless, as I said."

"It's the edge of the world?" I asked in a hushed voice. He nodded solemnly.

I thought about this. I'd never considered the fact that there might be an end to the world, or that it was so close. I was quiet for a long time.

Gale broke the silence. "That's where my name comes from. My mother named me for the gales and gusts of winds that blow around over the water and sand. I saw one once, but it was no ordinary storm. It is beautiful and terrifying at the same time."

We talked until the clouds turned pink with sunrise. Gale's stories were enthralling, and he seemed equally fascinated by my tales of the Clans. But the sun forced me to leave. I departed quickly, but just before I left, he called out. "Rainheart, wait. I can't come to your camp, but if you want to find me, I plan to stay in the nearby area for a while."

I nodded. "I'll be back soon." Yes, I was reckless. _I hope I don't regret this. _

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**IMPORTANT A/N: If you like this story and feel strongly about who should win, you NEED to take the poll on my profile page! I don't know if you can, but please don't take it more than once. AND REVIEW!**

**Also, I have just realized in the last chapter it didn't save when I added in the name of the winner of the Brightheart plushie. So, the winner is Nightshimmer! Thanks for all your reviews!**


	5. Love

**Congrats, Coby, you won the Tigerclaw plushie!**

**This means a new plushie! A limited edition Gale plushie to whoever writes the best review!**

**Also, I apologize for all the grammar mistakes in the last chapter, I know there are many. In fact, writing this sentence I made two mistakes that I had to fix. I guess I'm a bad speller.**

**And I'm sorry if this chapter isn't very good, I'm not very pleased with it. **

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Tawnystorm

_The shadows from the leaves above dappled the ground and my fur… the squirrel darted away… but I chased it, each step taking a lifetime… Thoughts and movements like sap dripping slowly down the trunk of a tree…So warm… So slow… the squirrel was now a butterfly… and…_

"Tawnystorm, wake up!" A pale sandy paw tapped my ribs. I blinked, looking around for the owner of the voice. I had been dozing in a patch of sunlight in camp, enjoying the warmth of the midday heat. Falconwing looked down at me, his mismatched eyes fixed on my face.

"What is it?" I yawned, stretching.

"Bramblestar wants to see you in his den." He replied.

"Oh. Well, thanks for the message." I mewed, surprised. I flicked his shoulder with my tail. He stared after me as I padded away.

Nudging aside the bracken that hung at the entrance, I called out "Bramblestar?"

"Tawnystorm." His voice filled with love whenever he said my name. After all, I was his only kit. His only _actual _kit. Of course, he'd always acted as a father to Jayfeather and Lionblaze since they didn't have one, but this was different. Squirrelflight and I were the most important things to him ever. "Sit down." He mewed.

I sat, curling my tail around my paws. Bramblestar's tone suggested that I was not in trouble, so I had no idea why I was here. "Yes?"

"Dovesong's kits are now six moons old, and it's time they became apprentices. You've never had an apprentice before, and I think it's time for that, too."

I gaped. "I- I'd be honored!" I wanted to squeal like a kit. This was incredible! My own apprentice! "Which one?"

He smiled at my enthusiasm. "The choice is pretty much up to you. Icepool has already chosen Cedarkit, but you may mentor either Shadekit or Sweetkit."

"I'll go see them right now!" I raced out before he said another word. Making a beeline towards the nursery, I saw Dovesong napping in the shade of a tree. Her kits tumbled around a bit aways, entertained by Bluepaw. She was like an older sibling to them, and was often playing with the three. After all, there wouldn't be any more kits until Blossomtail had hers.

I padded up to them. "Hi everyone! How's it going?"

Sweetkit looked up at me shyly. "Hi, Tawnystorm."

The others called out there own greetings, and resumed their games. I watched the kits closely. Sweetkit was small, with frosty white fur. She seemed shy, and a little more timid than the others. Shadekit was a black and white tuxedo tom, and he was clearly the most adventurous and fun-loving of his siblings. Cedarkit held himself with dignity. He had long, glossy red-brown tabby fur. He acted like he was already a warrior, more mature than Sweetkit or Shadekit. He might be a great leader someday, but I thought he needed to loosen up.

A black bundle crashed into my legs. I yelped and leaped back. Shadekit's blue eyes peered up at me. "Sorry, Tawnystorm." He grinned, and turned away. Just as I sat down again, he whirled and leaped at me. It was pretty good for a kit, but still very sloppy. Sitting on my haunches, I raised my front paws and caught him in mid-air, throwing him to the side. He landed on his paws.

"Nice." I realized I was smiling. This kit had nerve. He lashed his tail, smirking.

_Midday, the next day_

"Cedarkit, from now on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Cedarpaw." Bramblestar said solemnly. "Icepool, you are ready for an apprentice, and you will be Cedarpaw's mentor. I know you will pass on your wisdom and patience to Cedarpaw, and teach him the skills that will make him a brave warrior of ThunderClan."

Cedarpaw couldn't have looked any prouder as he touched his nose to Icepool's. The tip of my tail twitched back in forth in excitement.

"Shadekit, step forward." He did, his black and white fur gleaming. "Shadekit, from now on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Shadepaw. Tawnystorm, you are ready for an apprentice, and you will be Shadepaw's mentor. I know you will pass on your courage and determination to Shadepaw, and teach him the skills that will make him a brave warrior of ThunderClan." I bumped my nose with Shadepaw's. His blue eyes were full of excitement, but not surprise. He probably guessed I'd be his mentor. I stared back. I had gone from looking up into the eyes of my mentor, to looking down into those of my apprentice. The seasons fly past before you can blink.

I leaped off the Highledge with him, so happy and excited I heard nothing of Sweetpaw's ceremony. I couldn't wait to give Shadepaw a tour of the forest. Life was so perfect.

The cats yowled the apprentices new names. Falconwing padded up to me. "Good luck, Tawnystorm. I'm sure you'll be great." He purred.

I smiled. Falconwing was always so friendly, it was hard not to like him. But right now, my focus was Shadepaw.

_That night_

Flitting through the trees, I raced to the abandoned nest. The dark shadows barely bothered me anymore. It was silly to ever be afraid of them.

Gale was waiting for me, his brown fur shining in the starlight. He smiled in greeting, and waved me over with his tail. Stretched out on the nest-floor, I told him all about Shadepaw and how happy I was.

"Congratulations." He smiled. "It must be a real honor."

"It is. I haven't had an apprentice before." I smiled back.

"I'm sure you'll be a great mentor." He said.

_Just like Falconwing, _I thought.

We chatted for hours. Just as the moon neared its peak in the sky, something caught my attention. There was a clomping noise of some big creature outside. Gale heard it too.

We both fell silent, listening as the creature, no, creature_s_, came closer. The smell of Twolegs blew over to us.

"It's just Twolegs." I sighed in relief. I hadn't been sure exactly _what_ strange beasts had come looking for us in the night, but Twolegs weren't that bad. We could easily escape under the cover of darkness.

"Don't let your guard down yet." Gale murmured, still wary. Springing to my feet, I started to creep away, Gale behind me.

The door flew open and three Twolegs blundered in, holding strange moving lights. I tried to flee, but the lights fell on me. I leapt up onto a shelf, heading for the rafters. The Twolegs saw me, and reaching out a fur-less paw, one tried to pet me. Snarling, I puffed out my fur and swatted at it. Gale was bristling at my side.

The Twoleg yowled in anger and dropped its light. Its paws darted forward and clutched me by the scruff, picking me up.

Shrieking, I writhed wildly in its grip, clawing and spitting. It refused to let go. Suddenly, Gale launched himself at the Twoleg and started biting and scratching it. Another Twoleg grabbed him and flung him off, but the one holding me had already dropped me. We both fell to the ground and sprinted for the door.

We ran, stopping only when we were far away. We looked at each other, panting.

"Thanks." I said. He had just saved my life.

"No problem." He nodded as if it wasn't a big deal. "You should probably go back, warn your Clan."

"Yea." I replied. I'd have to figure out a way to tip them off without revealing I had been out at night. "Twolegs in the territory won't please Firestar."

Gale hesitated. "Be careful." He licked my cheek and padded away quickly.

I watched him go. He'd saved my life back there, throwing himself at the Twoleg… I think I'm in love with him.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Tawnystorm is cool! Why can't she be better in this chapter?**

**I'm sorry for the long time it took to get this chapter out, I was on vacation! While I was on vacation, I got the idea for (and halfway completed) my story **_**Cursed. **_**If you like **_**Spiteful, **_**you should check it out!**

**IMPORTANT A/N: If you like this story and feel strongly about who should win, you NEED to take the poll on my profile page! I don't know if you can, but please don't take it more than once. AND REVIEW!**


	6. Goodbye

Hello, everyone. If you are reading these words, I thank you for your continued loyalty to my stories even after months of neglect.

Sadly, this is the end of my FanFiction career. I urge you to read my goodbye message on my profile, which explains why I am leaving this amazing site.

I am posting this message at the end of all my unfinished stories. There is a 99% chance that these stories will never be completed, but I don't want to leave anyone hanging, so if you wish to know how this story ends, please PM me or email me at . If you are hoping that that 1% might happen where I do work up the motivation to finish and you don't want the ending to be spoiled (or you simply don't care) then don't PM me. Only those who ask will be told.

I'm sorry for doing this to you, and I thank you all so much everything. Writing on this site has really made me enjoy writing in general, and I hope to be an author someday. Thanks for everything, and goodbye!


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